


Letters

by loknnica



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Letters, ShikaTema Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:02:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24895852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loknnica/pseuds/loknnica
Summary: A brief exchange of letters between Shikamaru and Temari.Written for ShikaTema Week - Day 1 - Letters
Relationships: Nara Shikamaru/Temari
Comments: 22
Kudos: 55





	Letters

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this silly little thing as an entry for the first day of #shikatemaweek2020 for the prompt Letters solely because I felt like I had to do something for the first day. It's kinda angsty but also kinda fluffy and is just all over the place in general.

Dear Temari,

I hope this finds you well. How have you been? I’ve heard news of your recent engagement to that Iwa diplomat we once met at the summit in Suna. I can’t say that I’m not surprised at this unexpected development, especially considering that you told me that he’s utterly boring once. Regardless, I’m writing this letter to say congratulations. I wish you all the happiness in the world and I hope he’s everything you wanted.

Kind regards,

Shikamaru

-

Dear Shikamaru,

While I appreciate the letter, your tone doesn’t quite strike me as a sincere one. Passive aggressiveness doesn’t suit you. I don’t owe you any explanation for my choices. However, should you grow a backbone and be upfront about your thoughts and feelings about my engagement, I will indulge you. Thank you for writing.

Best,

Temari

-

Dear Temari,

I apologize if my tone sounded insincere or passive aggressive. I hadn’t intended for it to come off like that. I merely meant to say you didn’t quite strike me as someone who would agree to a political marriage of convenience. Those are my only thoughts on the topic.

Kind regards,

Shikamaru

-

Dear Shikamaru,

If you already know that my soon to be marriage is a political affair then surely you realize it had been arranged by the council and completely out of my control. And you should know that if I could marry for love I _would_ , so by all means if you have anything to say, say it. But if not, I will continue to do my duty and serve Suna.

Best,

Temari

-

Dear Temari,

I must admit that I have overestimated you. While I know how deeply devoted you are to Suna, I was under the impression that you would draw the line at arranged marriage imposed onto you by the council. I would’ve assumed you’d send them to hell for even suggesting such a ridiculous idea. I always thought you’d rather die fighting for what you want than allow them to cage you like they did. Or maybe I just overestimated myself, thinking that you’d actually marry me when I asked you. You had a choice; you _could_ have married for love had you wanted to. Unless you never really loved me at all.

Shikamaru

-

Shikamaru, 

Have pigeons pecked at your brain? I recommend you get it checked, because when did you ever propose to me? We might have last seen each other over two years ago, but I think I would remember being offered a ring or a promise of a lifetime. I don’t know if you drunkenly proposed to some random girl, but it sure as hell wasn’t me. And don’t you dare talk about _my_ feelings for you when you were the one who cut me off. You were the one who stopped writing after I told you I loved you. You just bailed. No response, no visit. Nothing. Hell, you didn’t even have the decency to meet with me when I went to Konoha after you failed to respond to my dozen letters. Screw you, asshole! You don’t get to play the victim in this one. You hurt me, Shikamaru. I loved you. Fuck, I _cried_ because of you. I thought you’d never hurt me because you loved me too, but apparently, I had been the delusional one. And then I hear that you are dating some boring girl from Konoha. God, I should have known I never stood a chance against your ridiculous notion of a perfect life. You always did want plain and simple. Enjoy it.

Goodbye.

-

Temari,

I’m departing on a mission tonight, so I’m writing you a letter instead of coming to Suna in person. I love you, woman. I proposed to you in a letter after you told me you loved me. I sent you a ring sealed in it because I thought it would be a romantic thing to do and I had a whole big thing planned for when you finally come to Konoha. But when you didn’t– my heart sank and I thought I had scared you off. I went to Suna to look for you but I was informed that you are on a diplomatic mission elsewhere. I wrote you letters. Several dozens of letters. I wrote to you every damn day, Temari. And since I never heard anything from you, I drowned my feelings in a bottle like the crybaby that you always say I am. The only reason I dated anyone who isn’t you is to forget you because I thought it was over with us. I thought it was over. Temari, if you have even a slightest hint of trust towards me left, listen to it. Something isn’t right here, our sides of the same story are too fundamentally different, and I’m starting to believe someone else has been writing the plot. I think that this is your council’s doing; they never approved of our relationship, we both know that. You were right to think I would never hurt you, because I _wouldn’t_. If you can find it in your heart to look past your anger for me, I think you’ll come to the same conclusion I did.

Love always,

Shikamaru

-

Shikamaru, 

After re-reading your letters I’ve become suspicious too, it just didn’t add up, and then your last letter confirmed that. We have been manipulated, both of us. We were led to believe horrible unspoken lies. The council had intended for me to marry someone for Suna’s benefit and you weren’t fitting into their plans. They intercepted our letters Shikamaru, they’ve been doing it for years, and they acted once they saw an opportunity to drive a wedge between us. God, I’m so angry and furious at them, but I’m also so happy. I found your letters - I thought they would at least be smart to burn them, but they kept it all. Clearly, they stopped intercepting once the letters stopped coming in the first place, or I wouldn’t be reading yours or writing you this one. Gaara is having a meeting with them tomorrow and he’s going to address this whole affair. They had no right to invade my privacy like they did – it might as well be considered as treason. Shikamaru, I found the ring… it’s beautiful. I read all of your letters and I’ve been so overwhelmed with feelings. I’m so confused with everything; I’ve convinced myself that you didn’t feel anything for me and I made myself distance from the feelings I had for you. But no matter how hard I tried, the feelings never went away, they’ve just been buried in shallow. I love you. I don’t know what to do.

Yours,

Temari

-

Shikamaru,

Suna was practically on the brink of a civil war after we came to discover the council’s ill actions. And it all goes back to you - had you not sent me that letter nobody would’ve ever known of their secret plots, and let me tell you, there were plenty. I’ll tell you all about it when I see you, but all you need to know for now is that the corrupt council has been replaced. I can’t put into words how happy I am that those old entitled snobs have been overthrown. 

Shikamaru, we’ve wasted too much time already and I don’t intend to waste a second more, so forgive me for being direct, but I want to make up for everything that we’ve lost and found again. I’ve longed for you for so long, so just say the word and I’ll be there in three days time. 

Forever yours,

Temari

-

Dear Temari,

Forgive the delayed response, I have just returned from my mission. I have a couple of broken ribs - nothing too serious, but I bet kissing you would make the pain go away faster than all the pain killers in the world. I’ve missed you terribly. You will find a key to my home sealed in this letter. Come straight to me, will you? I’m not letting you go back to Suna anytime soon once I have you in my arms again.

Now and always,

Shikamaru

P.S. I hope the ring fits.


End file.
